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Which version of DSK image should I prefer?
Applies to: RIDE 1.2 and later
A DSK image is intended to store an exact copy of a floppy disk (incl. "hidden" sectors and i/o errors, usually part of a copy-protection scheme), e.g. for the purpose of archivation or vintage gaming emulation. When creating (or reformatting) a DSK image, the application queries about which version of DSK should be used.
Unless you have a special reason, you should keep the default selection and confirm the dialog with the OK button. The following explains the options in more detail.
- Standard (Alt+S) – the original DSK version is best used to store tracks with the same layout of sectors (i.e. same number of sectors per track and same size of each sector). It can contain individual sector errors and custom sector IDs. If the track layout varies, the size of the resulting image can grow quite significantly. The other drawback is that standard DSK images with variable track layouts may not be correctly supported in some emulators (e.g. FUSE in version 1.3.4).
- Revision 5 (Alt+R) – addresses the problem of storing variable number of sectors per track and variable sizes of sectors on a single track without increasing the size of the resulting image. Otherwise it has the same capabilities as the Standard version of DSK. Usually no emulator has problems with handling the Revision 5 version of DSK, hence should be the first choice for any images you will ever want to create.
- Patch (Alt+P) – is intended to store minimal updates of a disk, for instance for the purpose of creating a functional image from two partially functional disks (read more). A disk patch is currently implemented as a Revision 5 image, however this specification may change in the future, so you should make no assumptions on this type of DSK image.
See also